• The Point Reyes Beach as viewed from the Point Reyes Headlands

    Point Reyes

    National Seashore California

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  • Operational Changes Took Effect on May 1

    The Lighthouse Visitor Center is now only open Fridays through Mondays. The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center will be closed through late December 2013. More »

  • 2013 Harbor Seal Pupping Season Closures

    From March 1 through June 30, the park implements closures of certain Tomales Bay beaches and Drakes Estero to water-based recreation to protect harbor seals during the pupping season. Please avoid disturbing seals to ensure a successful pupping season. More »

Birds

Two Common Murres (Uria aalge)

Common Murres (Uria aalge)

With nearly 490 species recorded (45% of species of birds in North America), Point Reyes National Seashore easily claims the prize for the greatest avian diversity in any U.S. national park. The species total here, in fact, is larger than the species total in each of forty of the United States. Some of the factors responsible for attracting this amazing diversity are Point Reyes' location at an optimal latitude its diverse habitats, its location along the Pacific Flyway, and the shape of the peninsula which acts as a geographic magnet.

While all birds at Point Reyes are protected, two threatened species currently are the focus of studies and extra steps to ensure their survival: the snowy plover and the northern spotted owl.

Visit our Bird Watching at Point Reyes page for information on where to go to see birds.

View Birds of Point Reyes National Seashore species list (205 KB PDF, Adobe® Acrobat Reader® required).

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Did You Know?

Climate scientists warn that the safe upper limit for atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is 350 parts per million.

Climate scientists warn that the safe upper limit for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations is 350 parts per million (ppm). For most of human history, atmospheric CO2 rarely exceeded 275 ppm--until the industrial revolution. As of 2013, atmospheric CO2 was ~396 ppm–-and rising 2 ppm/year. More...